CRIME PROBLEM WHIPPED

The Wagina community in the Solomons has implemented an effective anti-crime program:

Wagina community leader Ata Tabeuta proudly says drunkenness, sexual abuse and theft have dropped right off.

Whippings with coconut palm fronds inflict severe back and thigh injuries. Some of the punished are unable to walk for hours.

"Whether you're a chief, a priest, a tough guy, a mother, a child or a visitor, we are all subjected to the coconut branches if we break the law," Tabeuta told the Solomon Star newspaper.

"If a person tries to oppose the whip system, that person too would be arrested and whipped immediately for his or her opposition.

Cool... and effective.